Yeah, another day, another update. This week, there will be no extra surprise chapter since I overestimated my hands last time (remember the week where I had 2 extra ones in a single day?). Yes, my wrists are still in pain after two weeks. In conclusion, three chapters in a week is a big no no for the current me. I"m gonna try two chapters per week when they heal since who doesn"t want faster release? I want them too! Anyway, there"s no cooking drama but there"s catching drama in this chapter.
Chapter 25 – Waiting for the Windfall Translated by HaruOngy at Geniusly Plain (If you can see this line, you must have read this in the aggregator site which illegally steal various works. Be shameful of yourself for not appreciating the translator"s hard work. Don"t think only you want to have it the easy way. Support the fanbase!)
There were two young nuns who entered the kitchen. After searching the whole kitchen, they couldn"t find the female cook.
One of them were flew into a rage. "Why is this new cook is much foolish than the previous one? The dishes are already on the table but she"s gone."
The other one answered, "Don"t bother yourself with her. s.h.i.+fu[1] actually does want to find foolish one. Only then that one will not hold up the matter. Let"s just carry them all out."
"Why the rice today burnt a bit?"
"This cook is clumsy. She must had put too much firewood."
You"re the one who is clumsy! Your whole family is clumsy!
The Crown Prince who in charge of firewood was lifted by Mei Qian Deng to the rooftop. When he heard those voices down there, he was extremely unpleased. These little b.i.t.c.hes. It"s the fortune acc.u.mulated from your eight lifetimes that you get to eat the food made from the firewood this Crown Prince personally tending to and yet you all still dare to look down on them?!
A mountain breeze blew over and his hair flew around. Chu Xun stretched out his hands to put all those disarray hair behind his ears.
"That female cook will not suddenly wake up, right?"
Chu Xun felt bored squatting here and he didn"t know when that imposter would appear so he talked nonsense with Mei Qian Deng.
Mei Qian Deng raised her head. "She won"t. I had already poked her sleeping point." That girl would not be awake for a whole night. Right now, it was dusk. The dark red sunset glow as the background of the two of them, the evening sunlight cast on the glazed tiles which made an intriguing dazzling light to appear. It was quiet all around. Mei Qian Deng stretched her hand towards Chu Xun.
Chu Xun was surprised by her action. "Wei, boor. What are you trying to do?!"
With how excellent Mei Qian Deng"s martial arts, Chu Xun had no leeway to resist. He could feel his face was touched around by a slightly cold hand…… Chu Xun instantly turned into a stature…… That boor, earlier, did he, just take liberties of this Crown Prince?! Chu Xun s.h.i.+vered, his whole body in a non-self spiritual tour state.
In that unable to use language to depict moment, Chu Xun"s inner heart sent out a certain feeling born from interweaving various feelings. It could be considered as furious but he didn"t have the guts to retaliate. He couldn"t go and took liberty of her in exchange though? There was still the slightly tingling, numbing feeling, it was a bit better than being struck by lightning. After trembling, there was a sort of needing to pee impulse.
"Where"s that mirror of yours?" Mei Qian Deng asked an irrelevant question.
Chu Xun stupefied. It was still around but he had not been brave enough to look into it because he felt as if carrying a monster-revealing mirror in his pocket.
Mei Qian Deng gestured Chu Xun"s face. "Go take a look. I can"t wipe it cleanly."
What do you mean?!
Chu Xun was worried of his own face. He hastily took out the mirror and looked into it. Only then he noticed on his white, soft, small face there were numerous light and dark dirty marks. It must had been because he didn"t wash his hands after making the fire earlier so the ashes were on his hands. Then, he even touched his hair and face until unknowingly he had turned into a multi-coloured cat.
"This is all your fault! Telling me to make the fire!" Chu Xun was very angry yet he couldn"t do anything to Mei Qian Deng. Hence, he grinded his teeth and split those words from the s.p.a.ce between his teeth.
Mei Qian Deng took two steps backward, moving a bit further from the bristling Chu Xun.
When the sky had turned dark, people entered in succession from the back door. Chu Xun was worried they might missed that imposter so he didn"t care anymore of the filth. He laid squarely on the rooftop while staring downward. If anyone coincidentally looked up, that person would see a head with s.h.i.+ning eyes hanging on the rooftop. It would be weird if that person didn"t get scared until peeing.
Don"t know if you believed there was a mutual attraction between people, like when you"re on a street among the ma.s.s of bobbing heads and you couldn"t see clearly the faces of all those people so your line of sight would land on one or two stranger face. This sort of brus.h.i.+ng past five hundred years ago could be exchanged for a mere raising one"s head in this lifetime.
And someone actually did raise his head the moment he entered and saw Chu Xun. No, it should be more accurate to say that he saw Chu Xun"s pair of bright piercing eyes. Both his legs turned jelly in an instant. He was scared until his face had turned pale. He howled, "Mamma mia[2]! Ghost!" as he propped himself up with the door bar. At the moment he didn"t notice that was a human. He only wanted to make off at once.
"Boor, that"s the one!"
At the same when Chu Xun"s voice came out was the fluttering sound of a clothes. Mei Qian Deng moved like a fleeing hare as she swooped to that person who was planning to escape. Unexpectedly, that person knew martial arts too. He had quick reaction for he slipped out from the back door and escaped from Mei Qian Deng"s flying palm. Sadly, he only knew some simple martial arts. In less than ten exchanges, he was defeated by Mei Qian Deng this female warrior.
"You"re one of the Mei family from the Mei Zhou Tou[3]." When that person was caught, the first thing he said made Mei Qian Deng felt surprised. Earlier, she didn"t use the hidden sword arts and this person only had a mediocre martial arts so how did he see through it? It couldn"t be that this person know her? But it"s unlikely. If he knew her, why didn"t he call her name? Listening to his words, he only recognised the Mei family"s custom martial arts.
Mei Qian Deng compared the person before her and the portrait in the wanted notice. Chu Xun"s painting was wonderfully resembled him. This person had a satisfactory appearance. A delicate and handsome man, he had no uncouth and swindling air. No wonder he could trick the innocent female chef who could only distinguish Chinese cabbage, cabbage and baby cabbage. He seemed to be around twenty years old. He was too old to disguise as the Crown Prince, too young to disguise as Prince Chen yet there were people who believed him.
Mei Qian Deng hit several major acupoints of that person. Her face was calm.
That person however was still chattering away, "Looking at how young you"re with exceptional martial arts and such aloof personality, it can"t be that you"re Seventh Young Master Mei, Mei Qian Deng?!" When he spoke to the end, his throat suddenly turned shrill as if his heart was fully stirred.
Mei Qian Deng"s expression changed slightly. To think that he guessed it right.
Following that, that person"s words made Mei Qian Deng unable to hold herself. He said, "Little Young Master! Are you really Little Young Master Mei?! Ai, ai! Little Young Master, I have admire you for a long time. Don"t send me to the local authorities. I want to follow you. I"m willing to work as an ox and horse for you. I just beg you, don"t send me to the local authorities. I only do it to make a living."
"The rice in jail can be eaten too[4]."
"N-n-no, let me hug Young Master"s big thigh. Let me follow Young Master. I have really admire Mei family for a very long time! I have never thought that today the one who come to catch me is my long admired person. I can considered as having no more regret in this life. If Young Master insist on sending me to the local authorities, it"s better for me to die a hundred times."
At this moment, the physically very weak Crown Prince was still hanging on the rooftop alone.
Mei Qian Deng personally thought Chu Xun had almost reached the limit of hanging on the rooftop. She afraid he couldn"t hold himself any longer and roll down from the rooftop. Hence, she turned around, wanting to return to inside the nunnery to bring down Chu Xun.
"Little Young Master Mei, don"t go! Where are you going?! Aaaaahhhh, I heard you went to the palace to be the Crown Prince"s manservant so why are you here? Earlier I saw half a head on the rooftop. Is he someone from the palace too? I"m begging you, please don"t send me to the local authorities." He was extremely agitated yet he didn"t dare to scream loudly. If he alarmed the people inside the nunnery, the matter would become much troublesome.
As expected, Chu Xun was tired of laying on the rooftop and was close to collapse at the edge. He scolded Mei Qian Deng more than ten times, unaware he was with Mo Biao and the others. He really wanted to change his posture. At least if he fell, he wouldn"t need to use his head to cus.h.i.+on the fall. When Mei Qian Deng took him down, Chu Xun"s whole body had turned stiff.
"Where"s that imposter?"
"Outside."
Chu Xun rubbed his shoulders as he walked outside.
Mei Qian Deng told him, "That person had recognised me."
Chu Xun"s legs paused. In his heart, he felt it was not good. The back door was already opened. Not far from them at the back door was the wanted criminal who had been confirmed ident.i.ty by Mei Qian Deng. Coincidentally he saw Chu Xun who had one of his legs revealed from the door. He instantly widened his mouth. "It can"t be that the Crown Prince personally came out to catch me……"
Chu Xun turned his head around. He had a helpless face as he said, "He had recognised me too. What should we do?"
This person could no longer pa.s.sed to the local authorities. It would surely reveal the Crown Prince"s whereabouts.
They could only——pack him up and take away.
[1]Means Master, a respected address for the nun"s leader
[2] Original text literally means oh my mother but I used the Italian version which sounds much appropriate for the context
[3] Previously translated as Plum Islet Top.
[4] In original text, making a living is 混口饭吃 which the last three words literally are to eat rice so bang! The attack is too proper that I can"t even retort it
Translated by HaruOngy at Geniusly Plain (If you can see this line, you must have read this in the aggregator site which illegally steal various works. Be shameful of yourself for not appreciating the translator"s hard work. Don"t think only you want to have it the easy way. Support the fanbase!)